OCZ Vertex 3 SSD Preview

[SmogHog]

OCZ Vertex 3 Pro SandForce SF-2000 Based SSD Preview

http://hothardware.com/articleimages/Item1632/ocz-v3-specs.png

These performance numbers are mind blowing to say the least,wow.

Read whole preview here:
http://hothardware.com/Reviews/OCZ-Vertex-3-Pro-SandForce-SF2000-Based-SSD-Preview/ (http://hothardware.com/Reviews/OCZ-Vertex-3-Pro-SandForce-SF2000-Based-SSD-Preview/)

[vai1296]

I want i want!

[arock]

You should also check out the Anandtech preview of this device. He goes into some detail on how the Sandforce controller uses compression to achieve these read/write speeds in the OCZ. Anand also has a Crucial C300 256GB SSD in the comparison.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4159/ocz-vertex-3-pro-preview-the-first-sf2500-ssd

[SmogHog]

Anand's Final Words(Conclusion)

I didn't really believe that SandForce could pull it off when I first heard how fast the SF-2000 line would be. Even after CES, I didn't really believe the drives would be this good in real world use cases. Consider me pleasantly surprised.

When connected to a good 6Gbps controller, the Vertex 3 Pro is significantly faster than anything else on the market today. Obviously the V3P itself is an unreleased drive so things could change as its competitors show up as well, but the bar has been set very high. The Vertex 3 Pro is the first SSD to really put 6Gbps SATA to good use. In fact I'd say its the first drive that really needs a 6Gbps interface. Whenever you Sandy Bridge owners get replacement motherboards, this may be the SSD you'll want to pair with them.

Even writing incompressible data the Vertex 3 Pro is faster than current SandForce drives running full tilt. The performance gains we see here are generational, not a simple evolutionary improvement. SandForce has also successfully addressed the limited shortcomings of the original SF-1200 controller with regards to writing incompressible data.

Clearly performance isn't going to be a problem with this generation. The real unknowns are how well will the Vertex 3 (non-Pro) perform and how reliable will these drives be? Intel is still king of the hill when it comes to drive reliability, however OCZ has been investing heavily in improving its manufacturing. I suspect that this next SSD war will be fought both along performance and reliability lines. Unfortunately for us, the latter is very difficult to quantify without a significant sample of drives.

With new controllers from SandForce, Intel and Marvell due out this year we're going to see SSD performance go through the roof and SSD prices to continue to fall. We're still a couple months away from knowing exactly what to buy, but if you've been putting off that move to an SSD - 2011 may be the year to finally pull the trigger.

[Keeper]

I think I will have to watch this drive and snag it when it comes out...

[SmogHog]

Just last week, hothardware gave you a glimpse of what OCZ has in store for the enterprise SSD market with our preview of the Vertex 3 Pro. Without giving away all of the juicy details, the Vertex 3 Pro essentially buried the competition and offered performance that was significantly better than any current-gen solid state drive. As we mentioned though, the Vertex 3 Pro is an enterprise-class drive, and as such, it sports a price tag outside of the realm of your typical PC enthusiast. OCZ did hint that the “non-Pro” version of the Vertex 3 was coming soon, however, and stated that it would be priced “significantly lower”.Well, here we are, just one week later.

http://hothardware.com/articleimages/Item1636/ocz-vertex-3-1.jpg

http://hothardware.com/article_helpers/icons/features.gifOCZ Vertex 3 Solid State DriveSpecifications & Features
Performance Specifications


Max Read: 550 MB/s
Max Write: 525 MB/s
4KB Random Write (aligned): Up to 60,000 IOPS

*Achieved on Intel Sandy Bridge platform which is recommended to show full potential of the drive

Key Features

SATA III / 6Gbps
Implements SandForce 2281 Client SSD Processor
Enhanced BCH ECC capability
Supports SATA-7 Security Erase
Efficient Write Amplification Factor of less than 1 (4K database transfer workload)
Significantly improved performance over previous generation

Delivers 20% faster IOPS, and 40% faster sequential read/write throughputs

Consumer solution that implements cost-effective 2Xnm MLC NAND Flash to deliver an excellent balance of performance and reliability
MTBF: 2 Million Hours
3 Year Warranty
Despite the similar naming convention, the OCZ Vertex 3 is a completely different drive than the Vertex 3 Pro. The two have different controllers, different NAND flash memory, PCBs, and the more mainstream Vertex 3 lacks the “super-cap” that makes the Pro drive more suitable to mission-critical, enterprise applications.

Full Preview:
http://hothardware.com/Reviews/OCZ-Vertex-3-SandForce-SF2000-Based-SSD-Preview/

[SmogHog]

So far OCZ has the Vertex 3,GSkill the Phoenix II and Patriot the Wildfire.

G.Skill has announced an updated SSD line, the Phoenix II. The Phoenix II family will leverage the new SandForce SF-2200 processor, SATA 6Gb/s interface and 25nm NAND to deliver read and write speeds of 550/500 MB/s.

G.Skill will offer the Phoenix II in capacities of 60GB, 120GB and 240GB, meaning they're enabling RAISE for extra endurance and performance, just like the Vertex 3.

http://www.storagereview.com/images/G%20Skill%20Phoenix%20II%20SSD.jpg

These 3 SSDs are all using new Sandforce 2200 controller but the Patriot Wildfire will have RAISE disabled.

Patriot Wildfire SSDs will feature a SATA 6Gb/s interface and 25nm MLC NAND. Interestingly, the Wildfire will come in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacities, which means they've disabled RAISE (http://www.storagereview.com/sandforce_sf2200_amp_sf2100_ssd_processors_release d).

http://www.storagereview.com/images/Patriot%20wildfire%20256GB.png

This means Patriot has decided to give up a little bit of performance in exchange for extra SSD capacity. By way of comparison, the Vertex 3 at 240GB would be comparable to the 256GB Patriot Wildfire. Consumer choice is a great thing though, we'll be very interested to see what the actual performance cost of disabling RAISE is when we get to see Wildfire reviews.

Sacrificing capacity for performance.

Continuing on the endurance point, the new controllers are the first to publish a write amplification (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Write_amplification) of less than 1. To simplify, write amplification is variable based on user activity and the data written to the drive; the lower the better in terms of drive efficiency and NAND longevity.
The new SandForce controllers support 2xnm (25nm) and 3xnm (32nm, 34nm) SLC and MLC NAND from all major suppliers, Intel-Micron, Toshiba, Hynix and Samsung. Other data protection features include Trusted Computing Group Opal security with 256-bit AES encryption, and an advanced ECC engine that can correct up to 55 bits per 512-byte sector, roughly double that of the prior generation SF-1200 processor.

[scar]

If you guys didn't see, the Vertex 3 has been added!

[Keeper]

Still isn't available though.

[SmogHog]

Newegg has ETA as April 8th.

120GB:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227706

240GB:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227707&cm_re=ocz_vertex_3_ssd-_-20-227-707-_-Product

[JP@XoticPC]

Yep, Justin said they're on the way to us.

[SmogHog]

Yep, Justin said they're on the way to us.

JP,that is indeed great news.

Having more drive options is a big plus for XOTICPC custom built notebooks.

The OCZ Vertex 3 should be near the top of any want list for an owner or order placer of a notebook with Intel's SATA III series 6 chipset support.

Prior series 5,4 etc chipsets will gain nothing from a SATA III SSD.An Intel 320 series or Vertex 2 is a better choice for a primary drive in notebooks with these chipsets.

[SmogHog]

First shipment at Newegg sold out immediately.

ETA next shipmet April 12th

Best to use auto notify